Adrin Nazarian is Bad News For LA City Council

A VOTE FOR ADRIN NAZARIAN FOR LA CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 2 IS ASKING FOR THE CONTINUATION OF A DYSFUNCTIONAL DYNASTY

By Samantha Krause

If You Are Happy with Councilmember Paul Krekorian, vote for Adrin Nazarian.

Let’s break down what is at stake for District 2, including Studio City, Toluca Lake, Sherman Oaks, Valley Village, North Hollywood, NoHo Arts District, Valley Glen, Van Nuys, and Sun Valley.

THE REASON ADRIN NAZARIAN IS RUNNING FOR CITY COUNCIL

Adrin Nazarian, who was Paul Krekorian’s Chief of Staff and succeeded him to represent California Assembly District 46, withdrew from the race in 2022 because he knew he could not beat Assemblymember Laura Friedman. Due to redistricting, Nazarian and Friedman would clash in a potentially divisive political battle over the newly drawn Assembly District 44.

A backroom deal was made for Nazarian to pull out but instead receive Friedman’s support to run for City Council. The broker? Nazarian’s ‘mentor’ Paul Krekorian. Nazarian has collected more than $1.7 million from American taxpayers. Doesn’t it sound like a political power play from the Middle Ages at the expense of constituents?

NAZARIAN’S ‘MENTOR,’ PAUL KREKORIAN’S ‘LEGACY’

Despite his bravado, Paul Krekorian has been a disastrous Councilmember. His bureaucratic-style complacency has now collapsed into outright ambivalence. Worse, Krekorian’s already nonchalant attitude toward laws aimed at protecting and serving his constituents threatens to devolve even further.

Krekorian is ‘destroying the neighborhoods,’ JoAnn D. Erickson, a longtime Valley Village resident, told the Los Angeles Times. ‘They’re building these horrendous high-rises.’ Another Valley Village resident, Donna Gooley, told The Times, ‘We’re just tired of nobody listening.’

City Hall’s and Paul Krekorian’s cozy relationships with developers have angered many in the community. ‘No more mischief, no more back-room meetings with developers during a two-year period. Take all that wasted time you’ve spent creating a luxury housing glut in Los Angeles and instead, do your job, create a plan for LA that involves the public,’ said Jill Stewart, Campaign Director for Coalition to Preserve LA, speaking at a news conference outside Los Angeles City Hall that same year.

Krekorian’s committee collected tens of thousands in donations from lobbyists, unions, businesses, and other groups and individuals. Those contributions helped Krekorian recoup more than half of the $100,000 in personal loans he made to his campaign committee over four years.

‘Going to people who aren’t supposed to contribute at the local level and asking them for money, that’s ultimately going into your pocket doesn’t look very good,’ Charles H. Bell Jr., a Sacramento-based campaign law attorney, told the Los Angeles Daily News.

Many in the City are outraged by Krekorian’s ongoing fundraising practices to pay off his debt and his mutually beneficial relationship with developers and lobbyists.

Many in Council District 2 are familiar with councilman’s staff misrepresenting issues, dodging complaints, and ignoring their calls.

A few years ago, Krekorian's former communications chief, Jeremy Oberstein, acknowledged that he crafted a fake letter to Council Member’s ‘Ask Paul’ column in Patch newspaper. Oberstein signed the letter, ‘Traacy from Studio City.’

HYPOCRISY MUCH? NAZARIAN’S BROKEN PROMISE TO UNIONS

On December 21, 2022, while UNITE HERE Local 11!, a labor union representing hospitality workers, was trying to negotiate contracts, Nazarian held a party at Sportsmen’s Lodge Hotel in Studio City and employed non-union outside contractors. Nazarian did not notify the Union of the function or employ any union-represented workers at the event. This was a violation of their Collective Bargaining Agreement. No bargaining unit employees were allowed to work at the December 21 event, violating these provisions. The Union also believes this violated the National Labor Relations Act and the Los Angeles Worker Retention and Recall Ordinance.

NAZARIAN DOESN’T HAVE THE ETHICAL VALUES TO BE A LEADER

Councilmember Krekorian appointed Nazarian’s wife, Diana Mangioglu, to her current position as the City Treasurer/Director of the Office of Finance at the City of Los Angeles, with an annual combined salary and benefits totaling $404,660.03 according to Transparent California. Call it nepotism, corruption, or plain wrong. If you are wondering why husband and wife have different last names, it’s to hide their assets from the public. Much of their wealth is hidden under Mangioglu’s mother’s name.

Nazarian admitted to someone that he votes alongside Democrats for pro-LGBTQ Bills so he can receive awards.

Although he was born in Iran to Christian Armenian parents and baptized in an Armenian church, he tells people that he is Jewish to get the Jewish vote.

Nazarian even refused to help the Armenian community last year with a simple request. He was asked to join various elected officials and dignitaries to sign a letter during the ongoing Artsakh Genocide, during which Azerbaijan massacred 10,000+ Armenians between 2020 and 2023. The letter was addressed to Mayor Bass, encouraging her to contact Vice President Harris so she could intervene with the Biden administration and stop the genocide. Dozens of elected officials and high-profile leaders signed the letter effortlessly and happily, but Nazarian did not. He dodged signing it for over ten days, only to tell the author, ‘There are many considerations.’

NAZARIAN DOES NOT WANT A SMALL TIME OFFICE

Adrin Nazarian had no choice but to run for LA City Council if he wanted to stay in politics. So, he had to step down from being a State-level legislator to a provincial role. Nazarian intends to use the City Council as a placeholder until he can return to a State-level position. He now works for the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS), making over $170,000 annually. So, let me know if Nazarian wants a City-level job.

LA doesn’t need any more recycled career politicians who are big on talk but short on action. Adrin Nazarian is terrible news for District 2.

The last day to register to vote in the presidential primary election on March 5, 2024, is February 20, 2024. Vote centers open for early in-person voting in all Voter’s Choice Act counties beginning on February 24, 2024. Vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by March 12, 2024. To register to vote and get election information, please visit LAVote.gov